Jason Culina reveals his high hopes for the code in Australia, as well as his father Branko’s joy at landing the job at Sydney FC… And guess what: the hunt for Philip Cocu’s signature isn’t over just yet.
Hey Jason, good to see you. Firstly, just wanted to ask how you spent your first 24 hours in camp?
There’s been a lot of media work. We’ve had a few photo shoots and bits and pieces. We’ll also have our first training session later today, which will be good. Good to get a run, some of us have had a few weeks off, so it’ll be good to get back on the park.
With so many new faces in this camp, is being a senior player something that Graham Arnold and team management make a point of speaking to you about?
I think it’s expected. Nobody has to ask us to do that. I’ve only been in the national set up for a couple of years now and when I came in there were more senior players than what we are now, so I learnt a lot from them. They taught me quite a bit and we’ll probably be looking to do the same thing with all the players coming in.
What about the media attention. You mentioned earlier that there’s been a lot of media and there’s still more to come. Do you think it’s much different than two years ago since when you first joined the national team?
Yeah, not only since two years ago, but since the World Cup. I think a lot more people have taken more interest. Not only the media, but the public as well. We’ll walk around the streets and people will recognise us.
It’s done us a world of good. Not only for us, but the whole of Australia, and hopefully there’s bigger and better things to come. That all depends on us. It’s good to get your face out there. Football’s a big game, much bigger than the Rugby League’s and the AFL’s and we deserve to be up there.
Jason, I want to ask you about Sydney FC. What has your dad said to you since he’s got back from Japan? What do you think of the side’s performance?
I think overall they did well, considering that it was their first time involved in such a tournament. My dad was obviously disappointed, as he always wants to win. Sydney FC is a big club and they are expected to win, but considering a few things I think they did really well, and I think my father did too. They did a good job, obviously they would have liked to do a lot better, but at the end of the day it was their first time in there, and they gained a lot of experience and they’ll know what to expect next time. Next time they go back they’ll be better prepared.
How was he on the phone to when he got the job? I imagine he was fairly excited?
Yeah, he’s been out of the game for a long time now, four years, so he’s just happy to be back on the park. That’s what he does best, that’s his element. He loves being on the field. I’m happy for him and I love watching my father coach and I’m following the A-League much more now.
Have you been along to Sydney training at all?
I went to watch them play against Shanghai at Sydney Football Stadium, and that was a good experience. I hadn’t watched an A-League or Asian Champions League game before so it was nice to be there, and I watched the other game against Urawa on TV, so that was nice, but I haven’t been out to a training session yet. I won’t get the chance now, but it was nice to see it, nice to see them play.
And have you spoken to Phil Cocu at all?
Well I haven’t lately, but my father has. I don’t know exactly what they talked about, but there’s still the possibility of him coming out. When I spoke to him a couple of weeks ago he was interested in coming to Australia anyway, for a holiday, but we’ll just have to wait and see. He could come out as a guest player or he could come out permanently, but we’ll find out more in a few weeks.
What about this weekend, who are Uruguay’s danger men? Forlan, Recoba?
Well, they’re both quality players. They showed last time. Obviously Recoba, he doesn’t play week in week out at Inter Milan, so he’ll be looking to impress with the national team. He’s always a threat from his free kicks and his long-range shots. Forlan’s got speed and goal scoring ability so there will be a few men to shut down. But hopefully at the back of their minds they’ll have to shut a few of our players down. Hopefully it works both ways, but it’ll be an interesting game. They’re bringing a full strength squad; we’re resting a few players. Having said that there’s a few players here who want to show something. It’s their first time in the team, it should be very interesting.
How much do you watch the other leagues outside of England and the Dutch League?
I follow the English League the most, it’s shown all over the world on TV; throughout Asia, throughout Australia and most of all throughout Europe so I get to follow it quite a bit. It is the biggest league in Europe, in the world. So it’s interesting, especially when your friends are playing. I enjoy watching them play, and it’s interesting. It’s a big league, exciting, a lot of goals and the best place in the world to play, it’s nice to watch.
The Asian Cup - looking forward to it?
Yeah, it’s a new experience and something we don’t particularly know much about so it’ll be a great experience. We’re going there early, and we’re going to have to put up with the weather at times, so hopefully by going there early we’ll be well-prepared. We’re looking forward to it, its going to be different, a new challenge. A lot of people have said that we’re favourites, but at the same time there are some good teams now. A lot of teams we don’t know about. Alongside Japan and Korea, we are probably the favourites from past results, but it’ll be interesting and it’s an unknown quantity, so we’ll see when we get there.
Is the toughest part the ‘unknown’ or the weather?
I think a bit of both. We are used to the heat, and humidity will play a part and we’ll have to be prepared for that. And the unknown… we’ve never played Thailand before that I can remember. We should know what to expect from Iraq, but Thailand will be difficult because we’ll have to play in their country. It’ll be interesting, but I’m sure Arnie will have a few videos and DVDs to watch to see what these teams are really like. But we’ll be working on our game, and our game is probably the most important.
How much thought have you given to South Africa 2010?
I think we should look at it year-by-year, game-by-game, we’ve got the Asian Cup to concentrate on, we are developing a new team now and a lot of guys have stepped down and retired so we’ve got a lot of new guys coming in. We’ve just got to focus on getting a strong squad again, and I think with the new players coming in with the hunger they have, that’s achievable. Like I said, 2010 is a few years away, so we’ve got to work on our team week by week and concentrate on the Asian Cup first.
And how are you enjoying fatherhood?
Yeah, it’s good. It’s different. Not much time anymore for ourselves, but that’s fine. It’s one of the best feelings in the world to have a child, so every day I wake up with a smile and I thank God that he’s healthy, and it’s one of the best feelings in the world. He’s back here and came to see the Grandparents, its fantastic.
You mentioned last year that you wouldn’t mind a move to England at one point. Do you still feel the same?
Yeah, I would like that. I’ve been in Holland eight years, and a new challenge would be nice, whether it be Spain, Italy, England. A player always wants to play in one of the biggest leagues in the world, and I’m no different. I’m playing in a pretty big league now, and I’ve won two Championships in two years so maybe it is a good time to move. But in saying that, in football you never know what’s around the corner and what’s going to come up. A new challenge would be nice, and a fresh start somewhere else would be even better.
How was your experience in the Champions League?
Great. When you’re beating team like Arsenal, playing in the quarter finals against Liverpool - they were too strong for us - but nevertheless it was a great experience; and it’s always nice to play in the Champions League.
Are you familiar with many of the players at Sydney FC?
Yeah, I know quite a few of them, I’ve spoke to my father quite a bit about his team, and I’m quite familiar.
None of them have called you up and said they can’t believe how hard your dad is on them?
No [laughs], there’s been a lot of positive things. I remember when I first started playing, my father was my coach at Sydney United and he was a very hard coach at the time. I won’t say he gets upset all the time, but he’s very tough on the players and worked them into the ground. He’s been out of the game for a little bit, he’s stepped back and watched a lot, learnt from other coaches, and I think he’s come back a better coach. He’s more relaxed now, I think now he finds a balance between the player’s training schedule and rest which is important. Overall I think he’s really picked up things and the players are really benefiting from that and from what I’ve heard, they love being coached by him.
It doesn’t end there! Interviews with Nick Carle, Danny Allsopp and Lucas Neill are still to come…
And don’t forget to keep your eyes on 442Tube in the next couple of days too – we’ll be featuring some little clips of the boys.
There’s been a lot of media work. We’ve had a few photo shoots and bits and pieces. We’ll also have our first training session later today, which will be good. Good to get a run, some of us have had a few weeks off, so it’ll be good to get back on the park.
With so many new faces in this camp, is being a senior player something that Graham Arnold and team management make a point of speaking to you about?
I think it’s expected. Nobody has to ask us to do that. I’ve only been in the national set up for a couple of years now and when I came in there were more senior players than what we are now, so I learnt a lot from them. They taught me quite a bit and we’ll probably be looking to do the same thing with all the players coming in.
What about the media attention. You mentioned earlier that there’s been a lot of media and there’s still more to come. Do you think it’s much different than two years ago since when you first joined the national team?
Yeah, not only since two years ago, but since the World Cup. I think a lot more people have taken more interest. Not only the media, but the public as well. We’ll walk around the streets and people will recognise us.
It’s done us a world of good. Not only for us, but the whole of Australia, and hopefully there’s bigger and better things to come. That all depends on us. It’s good to get your face out there. Football’s a big game, much bigger than the Rugby League’s and the AFL’s and we deserve to be up there.
Jason, I want to ask you about Sydney FC. What has your dad said to you since he’s got back from Japan? What do you think of the side’s performance?
I think overall they did well, considering that it was their first time involved in such a tournament. My dad was obviously disappointed, as he always wants to win. Sydney FC is a big club and they are expected to win, but considering a few things I think they did really well, and I think my father did too. They did a good job, obviously they would have liked to do a lot better, but at the end of the day it was their first time in there, and they gained a lot of experience and they’ll know what to expect next time. Next time they go back they’ll be better prepared.
How was he on the phone to when he got the job? I imagine he was fairly excited?
Yeah, he’s been out of the game for a long time now, four years, so he’s just happy to be back on the park. That’s what he does best, that’s his element. He loves being on the field. I’m happy for him and I love watching my father coach and I’m following the A-League much more now.
Have you been along to Sydney training at all?
I went to watch them play against Shanghai at Sydney Football Stadium, and that was a good experience. I hadn’t watched an A-League or Asian Champions League game before so it was nice to be there, and I watched the other game against Urawa on TV, so that was nice, but I haven’t been out to a training session yet. I won’t get the chance now, but it was nice to see it, nice to see them play.
And have you spoken to Phil Cocu at all?
Well I haven’t lately, but my father has. I don’t know exactly what they talked about, but there’s still the possibility of him coming out. When I spoke to him a couple of weeks ago he was interested in coming to Australia anyway, for a holiday, but we’ll just have to wait and see. He could come out as a guest player or he could come out permanently, but we’ll find out more in a few weeks.
What about this weekend, who are Uruguay’s danger men? Forlan, Recoba?
Well, they’re both quality players. They showed last time. Obviously Recoba, he doesn’t play week in week out at Inter Milan, so he’ll be looking to impress with the national team. He’s always a threat from his free kicks and his long-range shots. Forlan’s got speed and goal scoring ability so there will be a few men to shut down. But hopefully at the back of their minds they’ll have to shut a few of our players down. Hopefully it works both ways, but it’ll be an interesting game. They’re bringing a full strength squad; we’re resting a few players. Having said that there’s a few players here who want to show something. It’s their first time in the team, it should be very interesting.
How much do you watch the other leagues outside of England and the Dutch League?
I follow the English League the most, it’s shown all over the world on TV; throughout Asia, throughout Australia and most of all throughout Europe so I get to follow it quite a bit. It is the biggest league in Europe, in the world. So it’s interesting, especially when your friends are playing. I enjoy watching them play, and it’s interesting. It’s a big league, exciting, a lot of goals and the best place in the world to play, it’s nice to watch.
The Asian Cup - looking forward to it?
Yeah, it’s a new experience and something we don’t particularly know much about so it’ll be a great experience. We’re going there early, and we’re going to have to put up with the weather at times, so hopefully by going there early we’ll be well-prepared. We’re looking forward to it, its going to be different, a new challenge. A lot of people have said that we’re favourites, but at the same time there are some good teams now. A lot of teams we don’t know about. Alongside Japan and Korea, we are probably the favourites from past results, but it’ll be interesting and it’s an unknown quantity, so we’ll see when we get there.
Is the toughest part the ‘unknown’ or the weather?
I think a bit of both. We are used to the heat, and humidity will play a part and we’ll have to be prepared for that. And the unknown… we’ve never played Thailand before that I can remember. We should know what to expect from Iraq, but Thailand will be difficult because we’ll have to play in their country. It’ll be interesting, but I’m sure Arnie will have a few videos and DVDs to watch to see what these teams are really like. But we’ll be working on our game, and our game is probably the most important.
How much thought have you given to South Africa 2010?
I think we should look at it year-by-year, game-by-game, we’ve got the Asian Cup to concentrate on, we are developing a new team now and a lot of guys have stepped down and retired so we’ve got a lot of new guys coming in. We’ve just got to focus on getting a strong squad again, and I think with the new players coming in with the hunger they have, that’s achievable. Like I said, 2010 is a few years away, so we’ve got to work on our team week by week and concentrate on the Asian Cup first.
And how are you enjoying fatherhood?
Yeah, it’s good. It’s different. Not much time anymore for ourselves, but that’s fine. It’s one of the best feelings in the world to have a child, so every day I wake up with a smile and I thank God that he’s healthy, and it’s one of the best feelings in the world. He’s back here and came to see the Grandparents, its fantastic.
You mentioned last year that you wouldn’t mind a move to England at one point. Do you still feel the same?
Yeah, I would like that. I’ve been in Holland eight years, and a new challenge would be nice, whether it be Spain, Italy, England. A player always wants to play in one of the biggest leagues in the world, and I’m no different. I’m playing in a pretty big league now, and I’ve won two Championships in two years so maybe it is a good time to move. But in saying that, in football you never know what’s around the corner and what’s going to come up. A new challenge would be nice, and a fresh start somewhere else would be even better.
How was your experience in the Champions League?
Great. When you’re beating team like Arsenal, playing in the quarter finals against Liverpool - they were too strong for us - but nevertheless it was a great experience; and it’s always nice to play in the Champions League.
Are you familiar with many of the players at Sydney FC?
Yeah, I know quite a few of them, I’ve spoke to my father quite a bit about his team, and I’m quite familiar.
None of them have called you up and said they can’t believe how hard your dad is on them?
No [laughs], there’s been a lot of positive things. I remember when I first started playing, my father was my coach at Sydney United and he was a very hard coach at the time. I won’t say he gets upset all the time, but he’s very tough on the players and worked them into the ground. He’s been out of the game for a little bit, he’s stepped back and watched a lot, learnt from other coaches, and I think he’s come back a better coach. He’s more relaxed now, I think now he finds a balance between the player’s training schedule and rest which is important. Overall I think he’s really picked up things and the players are really benefiting from that and from what I’ve heard, they love being coached by him.
It doesn’t end there! Interviews with Nick Carle, Danny Allsopp and Lucas Neill are still to come…
And don’t forget to keep your eyes on 442Tube in the next couple of days too – we’ll be featuring some little clips of the boys.
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